War of wordsSharif must show restraintPrime
Minister Nawaz Sharif says: “Kashmir is a flashpoint and it can trigger a fourth war with India.” The statement is published and the Pakistan Prime Minister’s Office disavows it. In the meanwhile, there is a reaction all over the world to this ill-considered comment. In India, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says there is no scope of Pakistan winning a war against India in his lifetime.

Regulating acid saleCompensation needs a hikeAfter
passing an order in July this year to regulate the sale of acids across the country, now the Supreme Court has set a deadline. The apex court has asked the states to frame rules to check the misuse of acid and other corrosive substances by March 31, 2014.

New joint stock companies in IndiaThe Banking crisis is reported to have affected even some of the small Industries in places where panic is general. A set back has, therefore, been given to trade and industries in India, and it is hoped it will be only momentary.

GDP growth impacts voter behaviour
Pre-poll sops to create a hole in the government's pocketJayshree SenguptaInvariably during elections, GDP growth, inflation and the rupee’s value against the dollar become relevant. If the economy is doing well, the ruling party has a good chance of coming back to power. It is basically the state of the economy and the personal economic wellbeing of citizens that include having jobs, doing good business and giving their children a better future, that matter the most.

When The Singer cried
Satjit SinghThe
colony where we live in Gurgaon is much infested with stray dogs. They live in groups of three to four and have their areas well demarcated. They are, proverbially, all lions in their own streets. The three dogs that occupy our lane make a very curious group. We call them the fighter, the coordinator and the “singer” —the “singer” because it hardly barks and emits strange rhythmical sounds as if he is trying to sing.

Blockades keep police in a jam
Blocking roads or railway tracks as a way of mass protest violates civic norms and causes inconvenience to the public. It is also reflective of insensitivity and must be dealt with sternly.
Rajbir DeswalThe
world over, blockades have been known in history to be instrumentalities only of warfare, where none else than two masses of people, or nations, are pitted against one another. But in India, we indulge in this activity at the proverbial drop of the hat when we have to raise a voice of protest — either to compel authorities, or to ‘have our way’ even if it is unlawful, not caring about the inconvenience caused to the public.The latest instructions from the Ministry of Home Affairs envisage protesters being videographed and prosecuted.

Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif says: “Kashmir is a flashpoint and it can trigger a fourth war with India.” The statement is published and the Pakistan Prime Minister’s Office disavows it. In the meanwhile, there is a reaction all over the world to this ill-considered comment. In India, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says there is no scope of Pakistan winning a war against India in his lifetime. There is a sneaking suspicion that the statements are for domestic consumption, yet they have immediate cross-border reactions.

You could well be pardoned if you felt a sense of déjà vu. Didn't something similar happen in New York? The infamous “dehati aurat” comment, allegedly made by Pakistan’s Prime Minister, was later disowned. The heated diplomatic damage control efforts were a good enough indication of the harm the loose comment had caused. Senior leaders, especially heads of government, need to be extremely careful about what they say and do. Nawaz Sharif has always maintained that he wants to have good relations with India, something that his counterpart in India reciprocates. It is creditable that both the leaders met in New York, especially in the backdrop of the incursions and killings that had occurred in Kashmir. However, much was lost with a single loose comment.

It is simply not fruitful to talk of another war when both India and Pakistan are attempting to initiate peaceful interaction with each other, be it in business, cultural exchanges or on the sports fields. Trade ties are an important aspect of improving relations. Overland trade between the two countries, while miniscule, is continuing and has an enormous potential. Peace would benefit both nations, yet there are groups within them that oppose the normalisation of relations between the two. They benefit the most when rhetoric is ratcheted up. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif must keep that in mind. While it might be understandable, if disappointing, that he has not been able to walk the talk about improving relations with India, it is difficult to understand why he can't even talk the talk.

After
passing an order in July this year to regulate the sale of acids across the country, now the Supreme Court has set a deadline. The apex court has asked the states to frame rules to check the misuse of acid and other corrosive substances by March 31, 2014. Though there is no data available on the number of acid attacks taking place in the country, this gender-specific crime has shown an increase over the past decade despite being one of the most under-reported crimes. A new law was passed in February this year as a follow-up of the Nirbhaya gang-rape case, which criminalises acid attacks under a separate Indian Penal Code offence and proposes punishment of not less than 10 years to a maximum of life imprisonment for perpetrators and a fine that could go up to Rs 10
lakh.

The order to regulate the sale of acids came in the wake of a PIL petition filed in 2006 by one of the acid victims from Delhi. The new law makes it a non-bailable offence and the state governments are told to pay Rs. 3 lakh as compensation to an acid attack victim. Over 75 per cent of the victims of acid attacks are young women, whose lives are scarred forever. The survivors have to deal with the disfigurement of the body and long-term consequences on their psychological and social life. often blindness or loss of hearing accompanies disfigurement, resulting in tremendous economic hardships as the victims are often rendered unfit for work.

Keeping the gravity of their plight the compensation should be enhanced to a minimum of Rs 10 lakh. The Supreme Court's insistence on banning the retail sale of acids is based on proven statistics. In Bangladesh after the Acid Control Act 2002 and the Acid Crime Prevention Act 2002 had put a restriction on the sale of acids, a drop of about 75 per cent was observed in these crimes. Since crimes like these cannot be policed, the best remedy is to regulate the sale of acids.

Mrs. Sheik Mehtab is the first Mahomedan lady passive resister. Accompanied by her mother she proceeded to Volksrust, and on being arrested, was on the 13th October sentenced to three months' imprisonment with hard labour. Both the Natal Mercury and Indian Opinion have published this Moslem heroine's photograph. This lady's resolve to break the custom and suffer the penalties of law shows how indignant the womanhood of India must be at the perverse decision of the Union Government to lower the status of a legally wedded wife in the eyes of the world.

The Banking crisis is reported to have affected even some of the small Industries in places where panic is general. A set back has, therefore, been given to trade and industries in India, and it is hoped it will be only momentary. The new joint stock companies registered during the month of September numbers 27 in all, but it is apparent that these were just before the banking troubles had begun. Yet they could not be regarded as having come into existence under auspicious conditions.

Two of these are sugar works, one in Delhi and the other in Cawnpore, the latter with a capital of Rs. 4 lakhs. Two mining companies were registered, one in Bombay and the other in Rangoon. Two were newspaper companies, two insurance and six banking. Of the last, three are in the Punjab. One is a branch railway company with a capital of 85 lakhs and one electric supply Co. The October and November returns are not published, but they must tell a tale which few would be anxious to hear.

For the average individual, it is prices that matter the most as these cut into the budget for healthcare and education for children

Invariably during elections, GDP growth, inflation and the rupee’s value against the dollar become relevant. If the economy is doing well, the ruling party has a good chance of coming back to power. It is basically the state of the economy and the personal economic wellbeing of citizens that include having jobs, doing good business and giving their children a better future, that matter the most.

GDP projections for India vary. The latest by the Paris-based OECD is rather dismal at 3.4 per cent for 2013-14. The actual growth this year has not been so bad and was at 4.4 per cent in the second quarter of 2013. Of course if we compare the current growth rate with the previous high of 9 per cent, then the performance is rather poor.

Why is a reliable and prestigious think tank like the OECD projecting such low growth for India? According to its forecast, prolonged inflation and the rupee's sharp depreciation since May 2013 is putting pressure on India's public finances and its ability to maintain the fiscal deficit at the targeted 4.8 per cent is not certain. If the fiscal deficit target is overshot, the government would have to borrow more from the market which would raise inflationary pressures. Also the rupee's fall has led to problems with companies and banks having a high external debt.

In fact, the rupee's fall has not been without its benefits. From July to September exports have grown in double digits. The rupee depreciation has benefited exporters by making their products more competitive. But there is a risk ahead as the rupee is still not stable and there are frequent variations in its value against the dollar. In the longer term, if the rupee does not recover, the production costs of companies that use imported inputs would rise further. The Indian industry also uses power which comes from imported oil which, after the rupee’s depreciation, is costing more and energy costs are going up.

That the economy has not recovered fully and certain industrial sectors are witnessing weak growth is now an acknowledged fact. Both the industrial sector and services are facing a slow growth in demand. The service sector especially IT, which was the main driver of GDP growth, has suddenly slowed down due to a fall in demand for IT services. It is supposed to grow at 6.1 per cent.

The NCAER, a leading think tank, also has projected GDP growth between 4.8 and 5.3 per cent for 2013-14. It says: “Though early to predict, indications are with growth likely to be significantly lower than projected in the Budget, it may be difficult to achieve the budgeted tax-GDP ratio of 10.9 per cent even with the budgeted tax buoyancy of 1.4 per cent during 2013-14.”

Regarding inflation, the Wholesale Price Index has been pegged at 6.8 per cent. It seems a realistic estimate because the WPI hovers around 7 per cent. But the real problem is food inflation which refuses to come down. In order to rein in the high rate of food inflation and the Consumer Price Index, the RBI was forced to raise the repo rate recently. This will lead to a further delay in encouraging investment that industry badly needs. Reviving industrial growth is the main priority for the government in the months ahead. It will still be low around 2.9 per cent according to the NCAER. The recent closure of various industrial units (like in the forging industry) is bad news and people are being retrenched.

Agricultural growth, however, has been projected to grow at a higher rate of 3.9 per cent due to a better monsoon this year. Finance Minister P. Chidambaram expects GDP growth to be at 5.5 per cent. But right now there are quite a few uncertainties which have to be
factored in.

One is the unpredictability of the US monetary easing policy under which US Federal Reserve buys $85 billion worth of US Treasury Bonds every month, thus increasing liquidity in the world economy. The new head of the Federal Reserve, Janet Yellen, has yet to take over from Ben Bernanke and whether she would continue with monetary easing for some more time is uncertain. But every time a favourable set of US data comes out like a fall in joblessness or increase in house purchases, the FIIs sell their stocks in the emerging markets and return home. Till the US monetary easing policy is stabilised, the volatility in the stock markets would continue. This will impact the value of the rupee and make decision-making for business expansion difficult.

More sops are also likely which will create a hole in the government's pocket and make the fiscal deficit more difficult to maintain. Already the government's fiscal deficit has touched 76 per cent of the budgeted estimate. In the NCAER’s review, during April-September this year, the cumulative fiscal deficit stood at 3.7 per cent of GDP as against the budget estimate of 4.8 per cent of GDP for the entire fiscal year 2013-14.

A recent item of expenditure of the UPA government which can be regarded as a sop was the establishment of an all women's bank in Mumbai and seven other cities. Making access to loans easier in all banks for women would have been a much more appropriate step than making the symbolic gesture of creating an all women's banks. Financial inclusion of the poor, whether it is men or women, should be aimed at and facilitating credit access for rural women would have been much more appropriate as they are vulnerable to denials due to lack of a collateral.

The GDP growth projections do not mean much to the average citizen, though it is a barometer of how fast the country is becoming prosperous. Foreign investments also come to a country on the basis of GDP growth projections. But for the average individual, it is prices that matter the most as these cut into the budget for healthcare and education for children. Thus what will ultimately decide the outcome of the elections will be inflation and the government’s inability to
control it.

The
colony where we live in Gurgaon is much infested with stray dogs. They live in groups of three to four and have their areas well demarcated. They are, proverbially, all lions in their own streets. The three dogs that occupy our lane make a very curious group. We call them the fighter, the coordinator and the “singer” —the “singer” because it hardly barks and emits strange rhythmical sounds as if he is trying to sing.

Because of this special attribute, we have named it after a famous Punjabi rapper, and lest I should incur any libel on myself, I'll call him “The Singer”. He is very friendly with all the members of our family, and follows us to the end of the street, rather the end of its territory.

The Singer had not been well for the last few days and I noticed a severe wound on his ear, infested with maggots. It was giving a foul smell. We consulted Dr. Manchanda, a vet in our market nearby, and he suggested that the dog be brought to his clinic so that cleaning and proper treatment could
be done.

The Singer was not cooperating. Since he is otherwise a very docile creature, we decided to physically lift him and move to the clinic. For this I sought the help of Bilal, the boy who cleans our car. Since he works very early in the morning, I rarely see him.

I incidentally found him in the street that Sunday, and as usual he promptly responded to my request. Casually, just as a courtesy, I asked him about his and his family’s well-being. I was frozen for a moment when he told me that he had recently lost his four-month-old son.

As he couldn’t find time or afford the expenses for the infant’s treatment, he had sent his wife along with the sick child to his village - far away in West Bengal. The infant died on the way and his wife carried her dead son for more than 12 hours in the cramped compartment of the train. All this he told me while continuing to help me to carry the dog to the clinic.

At night, I was still awake when I heard the moaning sound of The Singer. I pressed my face against the pillow and wept silently.

The Singer is now fully recovered but strangely, has stopped making any noise. Today, I saw the dog clinging to Bilal’s legs who was patting on its head. The Singer appeared to be not singing but crying. I couldn’t figure out who was comforting whom!

Blockades keep police in a jam
Blocking roads or railway tracks as a way of mass protest violates civic norms and causes inconvenience to the public. It is also reflective of insensitivity and must be dealt with sternly.
Rajbir Deswal

Public property is damaged with impunity during such protests.

The
world over, blockades have been known in history to be instrumentalities only of warfare, where none else than two masses of people, or nations, are pitted against one another. But in India, we indulge in this activity at the proverbial drop of the hat when we have to raise a voice of protest — either to compel authorities, or to ‘have our way’ even if it is unlawful, not caring about the inconvenience caused to the public. A road blockade is the most brutal way of protesting.

During the year gone by, in the Ambala-Panchkula Police Commissionerate alone, there have been innumerable instances when roads were blocked or jams effected by people at different places for different reasons. Is anywhere in the enlightened world, or the best of democracies, where people stop services and restore to making the vehicles of communication, especially roads, ineffective? We have come to tolerate this menace with impunity. No laws exist in the country whereby there is an instrumentality available when one could prosecute those who block roads and cause not only inconvenience but culpable criminality in more than one ways. There is now case law to suggest action against those who damage public property. The latest instructions circulated by the Ministry of Home Affairs envisage protesters being videographed and prosecuted in the High Court concerned at the initiative of the state government. But how many such initiatives have been taken? I don’t think any, on the lines suggested, in this part of the country.

Role of police

The system requires the police to handle such jams. The police is vested with the task of getting a jam lifted. Even if other departments are involved, it ultimately becomes incumbent only on the police to take on the agitators. For example, if a drain was not cleared, and if due to silting or weeds, it gets choked and the water inundates colonies or fields, etc. in the rainy season, people take to streets, requiring the police to step in. The police neither has the engineering skills to assess the situation arising out of a technical omission, nor can it put a tab on the timely execution of tasks, or the service delivery mechanism. But it has to be there to ‘contain the situation’. It can neither give an assurance to the agitators nor can it use force justifiably to disperse the crowd. In such a situation, when the police itself is not clear how to go about things, it sometimes indulges in highhandedness and uses unwarranted force.

Unreasonable demands

Here are some recent cases when roads were blocked in the Ambala-Panchkula Commissionerate. A factory worker met with an accident and died on the spot. His family members and others lay on the road to protest even during the night. They wanted the compensation to be paid immediately. The amount of compensation too was exorbitantly ‘decided’ by the agitators. The factory, as per its regulations, could have done so, but only after going through the legally mandated procedure and labour laws. The only one to speak on behalf of the factory was the manager, who could not take a decision since the owners were to sanction the compensation to be paid if at all it was due. All through the night, the traffic remained suspended with the police diverting it to other available arteries. Imagine if alternative routes were not available. The agitators even sought the arrest of the factory owner in a purely accidental death case which took place on the road and not in the factory.

The provocation

In another case, a young woman died of burns and as per her dying declaration to the magistrate and the police, held no one responsible for her imminent death, but her kin resorted to a jam and got a criminal case registered against certain people. They wanted them to be arrested there and then.
In cases involving accidental deaths, the agitators would want the drivers also to be handed over to them for letting them ‘punish’ them their way — generally demanding nothing less than a ‘hanging’.

At another place, a four-wheeler allegedly carrying cows for slaughter was overturned and set afire. The drivers were beaten up and some others fled the scene. The mob jammed the road and wanted the rest of the accused arrested and brought to book instantaneously, without even letting the police go on the trail of the criminals. In Rewari district of Haryana, about 50 vehicles were damaged on the discovery of a convoy of trucks carrying cows.

Not only do political rivals fuel up protests of jamming roads, but also local vested interests are at full play on such occasions. In a recent case in a village of Ambala, certain protesters blocked the road and set afire two roadways buses. They wanted immediate arrest of five persons accused of murder. The alleged accused were arrested the same day. The following day is was found that the person leading the blockade and burning the buses was himself the murderer. The five who were arrested were discharged from the court.

In an interesting case, even the media instigated the agitators to block the road since ‘no news was made out’ till then.

The harvest season chokes the markets with glut production. Roads are frequently blocked by agitating farmers who want their yield to be either lifted, or offered a better price, or that their damp grain also be purchased at nothing less than the fixed price. Summer sees roads being jammed to protest load shedding and power cuts. Hospitals witness scenes of protest after an alleged death due to negligence by doctors. Private clinics are the most vulnerable in this regard. If there is no bus service to a route having a school or a college, students think they have the right to block the road to force the authorities to arrange for the service. The season when ‘kawadias’ bring holy water to be offered to their village deity, anything going wrong with them invites nothing less than a road block, besides a demand for a separate pedestrian lane.

Vigilante reaction?

Every blockade is against humanity. No one bothers about a patient being taken in an ambulance; a woman in labour; a candidate on way for an interview; or someone headed for court or a business appointment. Those blocking roads would not even care for the old, infirm, women and children, or those who remain immobile in vehicles in unfavorable weather conditions. Many a time, workers’ unions, associations and other fora decide to block roads to build
pressure on the authorities to concede to their demands. The recent roadways workers’ strike in Ambala was dealt with a stern hand as the
agitators wanted to block the Grand Trunk Road.

Sometime back in Hisar, a massive protest on the rail tracks had disrupted services for days. It was keeping in mind the Hisar experience that an effective handling was seen as the only alternative. Imagine if you
could have the Delhi-Amritsar highway rendered dysfunctional for three days or a week!

Being fair to those who have a genuine grievance, the authorities concerned cannot absolve themselves of their duties to be discharged with empathy and expediency, also keeping in mind the resultant reaction of their inaction. Repeated omissions contribute in developing a public mindset of animosity and the authorities are perceived to be ‘not delivering’. In such situations, the mass upsurge and apathy leads to vigilante actions when the people themselves think they can right the wrongs — largely being on the wrong side of the law of the land. But the fact remains that of all the other ways to protest, is it civil or even insensitive to lay siege to roads and highways?

There has to be a law, and a stern one, to deal with such protesters. The damage caused to each individual, thus affected, needs to be recovered from the perpetrators, who should be brought to book by invoking the penal provisions put in place. Also, if any government department fails to deliver, it should be made accountable. If a death or bodily harm or injury occurs, it should be made compoundable at the instance of the victim or the kin; compensation to be paid by individuals, or the group involved, or even those who knew well it was unlawful to be part
of a road block and rendering essential services disrupted, stopped or even hampered.

There should be a provision for the trio of a magistrate, police officer and an independent NGO to disperse the crowd and lift the blockade using reasonable force, given that the protesters form an unlawful assembly.

The defaulters

Harvest season sees markets choked with produce. Roads are frequently blocked by agitating farmers who want their yield to be either lifted, or a better price.

During summer, roads are blocked frequently to protest load shedding and power cuts.

Hospitals witness scenes of protest after
a death due to alleged negligence by doctors. Private clinics are the most vulnerable.

If there is no bus service to a route having a school or a college, students think they have the right to block the road to force the authorities to arrange for the service.

Anything going wrong with ‘kawadias’ invites a road block and a demand for a pedestrian lane.